LIHI Certificate #117 – Clement Dam Project, New Hampshire

The Clement Hydroelectric Project is a 2.4 MW facility located on the Winnipesaukee River in the town of Tilton, Belknap County, in central New Hampshire. The project is located roughly four miles downstream of the 1 MW Lochmere Hydroelectric Project and two and one-­‐half miles upstream of the 2 MW Stevens Mill Hydroelectric Project (currently in the LIHI Certification process.) The Winnipesaukee River is a 10.5 mile river that connects Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire, with the Pemigewasset and Merrimack Rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire. The Winnipesaukee River traditionally supported industrial activity in the towns that line its banks from Lake Winnipesaukee to its confluence with the Merrimack River. The river is located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire. The total drainage area of the river is approximately 488 square miles.

Flows on the Winnipesaukee River are highly regulated by releases from the Lakeport Dam located on the outlet of Lake Winnipesaukee, which controls 45% of the watershed. Flows from the Lakeport Dam are directed by the State of New Hampshire to control water levels on the lake and balance recreational, environmental and commercial uses. After exiting the Lakeport Dam, the river enters Opechee Bay and travels through an industrial area in Laconia and ends at Winnisquam Lake, a five-­mile long stretch and the fourth-­‐largest lake in New Hampshire, entering the Lochmere Dam at the outlet. The river then passes through Silver Lake before entering through the center of the towns of Tilton and Northfield, where Clement Project is located. The river then descends through a narrow valley to Franklin where the river passes over the Stevens Mills Project (currently pending LIHI Certification) and finally the Franklin Falls Project (LIHI Certificate No. 83) and joins the Pemigewasset River roughly 2,000 feet below the Franklin Falls Dam in the center of Franklin, forming the Merrimack River.

The reservoir at Clement has a volume of 27,200 acre­‐feet and surface area of 31,400 acres. Approximately 1.35 acres are inundated by the facility at an elevation of 420 NGVD. Run-­of­‐river operation is required at the facility, and the applicant has worked with resource agencies to monitor and ensure this mode of operation. Fluctuations in the reservoir are primarily attributable to the flow release schedule from the Winnipesaukee Lake upstream, which is controlled by the State of New Hampshire. The riverbanks immediately upstream of the project in the town of Tilton are industrialized, while the area downstream is more scenic as the river courses from Crescent to the Franklin and Steven Mills Projects. Tilton completed a Riverfront Park in 2006 that offers a boat launch and bathrooms for recreational users.

The total area occupied by non-­reservoir facilities at Clement total 5.14 acres. Project works as originally constructed consist if (1) Concrete dam, approximately 120 feet long and 16.5 feet high, having a spillway section surmounted with 3-­‐foot-­‐high flashboards; (2) reservoir having minimal pondage and a normal water surface elevation of 442.4 feet (m.s.l.); (3) an intake structure near the right dam, abutment; (4) steel penstock 275 feet long and 12 feet in diameter, leading to (5) a powerhouse containing a horizontal Kaplan turbine-­‐generator unit having a total rated capacity of 2,400 KW; (6) tailrace returning flow to the Winnipesaukee River approximately 600 feet downstream of the dam; (7) a transmission line, approximately 150 feet long; and (8) appurtenant facilities. Construction in 2015 will include the installation of exclusionary trashracks as required by the MOA between USFWS and ECREM.

Certification History

May 11, 2015 – Executive Director Michael J. Sale, using authority delegated from the LIHI Governing Board and a full review of the Application Reviewer’s report and all public comments and additional materials provided by the Applicant, has determined that the Clement Dam Hydroelectric Project meets the LIHI Certification Criteria. The effective certification date for the Clement Dam Project is December 31, 2014 for a five (5) year term, which will expire on December 31, 2019, with the following conditions:

Condition 1: Facility owner shall complete the agreed upon water quality sampling in 2015, receive satisfactory determination from New Hampshire Department of Environmental Service that facility does not impact water quality, and provide the results to LIHI by December 31, 2015.

Condition 2: Facility owner will comply with updated fish passage installation plans in 2015 as specified in the MOA with USFWS, obtain written approval of design by USFWS, and report results to LIHI by December 31, 2015.

Condition 3: Facility owner will complete minimum flow review in 2015 as prescribed in the MOA with USFWS, obtain written approval by USFWS, and provide results to LIHI by December 31, 2015.

Condition 4: Facility owner will complete the Operations and Flow Monitoring Plan as required by the MOA, obtain written approval of plan by USFWS, and provide results to LIHI by December 31, 2015.

February 17, 2015 – The Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) received a timely and complete application on February 6, 2015 from Eagle Creek Renewable Energy LLC, for the Low Impact Certification of the Clement Dam Project, FERC P-2966, located on the Winnipesaukee River in the state of New Hampshire.